


Zima

by Hikari42



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Au world building, Gen, Memory Alteration, Sonic is sad, Tails is angry, Winter Elemental AU, like there's a lot of uncessary world building bc i'm Extra, lots and lots of angst, through magic tho
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-19
Updated: 2017-07-29
Packaged: 2018-11-15 23:17:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11241327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hikari42/pseuds/Hikari42
Summary: Every year, Sonic makes it snow on Tails' birthday. Even now, when Tails looks through him and can't really remember him, Sonic keeps his promise. (Originally on FFN, now cross-posted to ao3!)





	1. Glaciate

Cover by [Katiemonz](http://katiemonz.tumblr.com/post/161006561289/i-drew-a-new-cover-for-my-gf-theashemaries-fic)!

* * *

 

It was so simple, something Tails had seen him do countless times already, but those big blue eyes lit up so brightly when he woke up the morning of November 24th and looked out the window that Sonic felt his heart nearly beat out of his chest with pride.

Outside, the ground was covered with a thick blanket of snow, ice crawling up the windows of the Workshop, small whorls decorating them into intricate designs that had the fox riveted. The kit gasped and jumped out of bed, rushing to the pane of glass to touch it. His gloved fingers left warm circles of moisture behind and he laughed, a pure chiming sound that had Sonic smiling from ear to ear. Ah, to be six years old and marveled by a simple snowfall. Childlike joy made his life so much better.

"Can we go play?!" Tails demanded, whirling around, eyes alight with glee and wonder. Sonic was standing in the doorway, holding up the kit's bright blue coat, which he shook in reply. The fox squealed and darted to put it on, immediately yelling "race you!" as he rocketed out the door and down the stairs. The hedgehog's smile widened and he quickly followed.

Two years later, the same date, the same type of morning. Eight and amazed, snowfall outside, a happy morning spent with snowball fights and snowmen, snow angels and snow flurries. Snow—Sonic's specialty.

"Make it snow on all my birthdays, okay?" Tails demanded in childhood glee, gathering some of the fluffy, shimmery stuff and throwing it up. Sonic waved his hand and a small gust grabbed the snow and whisked it away, around and around in a dance that was fit for Tchaikovsky before allowing it to float back to the ground around Tails. The fox's smile was huge and Sonic grinned back.

"I will. I promise."

Four years after that, the last good year. Twelve years old and still young enough to spring from bed and race to the window, demand to play, shrug on a coat and push Sonic out the door. A flurry kicked up as he crunched into the snow, swirling around the fox in a tornado that licked at his coat and sent his namesakes into a frenzy. A loud laugh, still high pitched and carefree, and then a snowball smacked into the fox, magically flying through the air without a pair of hands ever touching it. A war ensued, in which Tails conceded defeat only after the hedgehog stuffed snow down his coat.

The next year, Tails looked through Sonic more than he saw him, forgot the swirling whirling lighthearted play, forgot nearly everything as puberty set in. Sonic lost him that year, like all other children, but he hurt the most. The morning of his thirteenth birthday wasn't the same. There wasn't the patter of feet on the floor or the demand to go outside. There was a slow descent down the stairs and then a few steps outside, no coat, staring at the snowfall with head upturned and blue eyes empty. Sonic hovered out there, a blue blob in the white, and when Tails' eyes glanced his way, he thought he saw recognition. Then, it was gone almost as quickly as it had come.

There had been a _possibility_ , but like every other hopeful wish, it was unfounded. Sonic's long life was filled with disappointments, but this one... This one would haunt him for the rest of his days.

And now, three years after, he hovers in front of Tails' second story window with only the wind to keep him aloft, breathing frost onto the glass and then drawing small designs, like he does every year. Like he promised. Never mind that Tails probably can't remember that pledge. A promise is a promise. Snow is tipping down in the early morning gloom, gathering on the front step, the plateau, in the trees, and everywhere in between. Sonic waves a lazy hand toward the door and the wind sweeps the snow away so Tails won't step out into it immediately. His work is unblemished by footprints—perfect, like always.

He finishes with the window and presses his fingers to it. Ice covers his whorls and curls, defining and protecting them. There, they should last all day now. He casts his eyes over the Workshop one last time before nodding and commanding the wind to toss him onto the roof. He lands with a crunch on the snow that has gathered there and sets in to wait. This routine is three years old and he's used to it by now, as depressing as that is. But, at least he still has this. He doesn't know what he'll do when he can't decorate for Tails' birthday anymore.

A few hours later, he hears Tails' alarm clock go off and his breath catches. No matter how much the rest of the day sucks, this is the best part. Tails always goes to the window, examines the painstaking frost he has put there, and the look on his face always takes Sonic back to when the fox was younger and still _believed_. That expression gets him through the year, through the angry spells and disappointment, and he floats down to peer through the window.

Tails is only just reaching the window when Sonic gets there. He is disheveled from sleep, eyes dark and angry—a familiar look these days—but when he sees the window his expression lifts and a small smile paints its way across his features. His eyes widen to take in the artwork that decorates it and Sonic feels pride swell in his chest. Over ten years and he's still got it. The teenager's gaze shifts toward Sonic and the hedgehog freezes as the fox's eyes focus. He sees Tails' breath catch and his own heart crashes to a halt.

A shaking, gloved hand rises to press against the window. Sonic watches it, looks back at the fox, and yes, Tails is looking right at him.

"Can—" Sonic begins, not knowing if his voice will get through the layers of ice and glass separating them, but he has to _try_. "Can you see me?"

Tails doesn't hear him. He blinks and then shakes his head, mumbling under his breath. He turns and Sonic feels like he's been punched in the gut. _Damnit_.

.

* * *

.

For as long as Sonic can remember, he's been a winter elemental— _The_ Winter Elemental. It's his job to bring ice and snow to the planet, and he spends most of his time flying around, dropping snowflakes and icing power lines. There are other elementals of course, ice and wind and rain and fire and every other type imaginable, but Sonic is one of The Seasonal Four—the top tier, the big bosses, the movers and shakers, only a few of the names they've received from other elementals over the years. He was born an elemental, probably deposited on the planet by Chaos himself. As far as he knows, there are only a few pure elementals left—the ones endowed by Chaos or saved after death. Most are minor sprites, controlling one element and doing all that they can to help the Seasonals, while a select few work directly under the main four. Autumn has a few assistants simply because his job is so large—all those plants to prepare for winter. Sonic doesn't have any help; he prefers to do everything himself. It lets him explore and travel, running and flying with the wind. He loves to watch adults get huffy at sudden snowfall while children celebrate at the same time.

Children... He has a soft spot for children. The only people who can see him are children, with their big imaginations and unblemished souls. He spends most of his days playing with them, dusting their lawns with snow and icing the roads so the schools call a snow day. The kids love him and he makes sure they stay stocked up on snowballs while also keeping them off the road when they get carried away. He's been doing this for centuries—maybe even millennia.

He's an old man really, but he feels fifteen. He feels like one of the kids that he watches play, understands their need to get out into the cold and roll in the snow, identifies with childhood in a way that he'll never hope to identify with adulthood. He wants freedom for them, so he gives it to them in the only way he knows how.

But, once they hit puberty, they lose interest in him. He watches as they start to see through him, start to scoff at the idea of playing in the snow, and he can't do anything to stop it. This is the natural order of things. There will always be more children. Really, his job is just to bring snow and ice, not entertain kids.

Still, he can't help but mourn a choice few as they outgrow him. Tails is the only one that has managed to get this close to him, and he only has himself to blame for the heartbreaking situation he finds himself in. Tails is sixteen and can't see him anymore—hasn't been able to since he was thirteen—and Sonic has tried everything to break through to him, to no avail.

So, now, he decorates windows and drops snow every year on the kid's birthday. He sits on the roof with his knees pulled into chest and watches as the fox walks out into the snow, looking for him, but not able to see him. He knows that Tails remembers _Sonic_ , the big brother who has cared for him since he was four, but he doesn't remember _The Winter Spirit_ , so, to Tails, Sonic abandoned him years ago. The fox has anger inside him, a bitterness that he lets out in angry bursts as he blows up bomb after bomb in the Workshop. He's been crafting weapons for years, a worrisome situation for anyone, but especially so for Sonic, who can't do anything to stop him.

This year, Tails pads out with his coat and a scarf. He walks to the middle of the empty, wide area of the plateau and gazes out at the rest of the ruins, breath fogging in front of him. Sonic wants nothing more than to drop down in front of him and explain everything, but he knows that would be a waste of breath. He deserves this pain, but Tails sure as hell doesn't.

"Pity party for one?" a female voice pipes up suddenly. Sonic stiffens and the wind whips toward them, ready to grab him and carry him off. But then, his brain clicks on and recognizes the voice. His shoulders hunch and he scowls.

"What're you doing here, Amy?" He isn't sure how she got up here. Her powers don't include flying.

The snow crunches as she steps forward into his peripheral vision. She's dressed in a big, fluffy pink coat with her hands stuffed into her pockets, mittens hanging around her neck. She crouches down next to him, gazing at Tails with a closed off expression. "It's Tails' birthday. I'm here to watch you watch him."

"You hate the cold," Sonic grouses, which is true enough. Amy's the Summer Elemental, all sunshine and heat waves, swimming pools and ice cream. They don't get along that well, but they tolerate each other because it wouldn't do for winter and summer to be at odds; both are necessary for equilibrium.

"You're deflecting," Amy answers. On the ground, Tails falls forward into the snow, face buried in the cold. A smile ghosts across Sonic's face; the fox used to do that when was tiny, wanting to feel the cold all way through his body. "You can't keep this up."

"I damn well can." Sonic wraps his arms around his legs. "He's my responsibility."

"You knew you were making a gamble when you adopted him."

Oh, yes, the gamble. She had said the same thing to him when he had returned to Angel Island with a young child in tow. And how did he reply?

"If I were mobian," he says now, in a perfect reflection of his earlier self, "I think I would be a gambling man. Have you seen the slots in Casino Night Zone? I could lose a few rings there."

"You knew there was a fifty percent chance—"

"Look Amy," he cuts across, watching as Tails rolls over onto his back and stares up at the sky. Sonic waves his hand and snow starts falling, each snowflake carefully crafted by his hands, "I don't need to hear it. I knew the statistics, but I'm not gonna drop him just because the pendulum didn't swing in my favor."

Amy sighs and her breath puffs in front of her. Sonic is suddenly painfully aware that she used to be mobian, can understand every little thing Tails is going through in ways Sonic can't, and that hurts. "Well, Cream and I are gonna stop by later this evening. Do you want us to tell him anything?"

Sonic shakes his head, suddenly angry at her. He glares ahead and the wind picks up, whirling the snow around.

The girl reaches out and pats his arm. Her palm is searing hot on his freezing skin and it takes all of his willpower not to jerk away. Chaos, he hates summer sometimes. "I'll see you later," she mumbles before turning and crunching away. He hears her jump off the roof and then all trace of her is gone.

Amy doesn't deserve the anger, not really. She's been dealing with his temper tantrums for centuries. He's just jealous. Amy Rose had once been mobian, alive and well, but then some kind of accident—she won't specify what exactly it was—happened. She tried to save a younger girl, getting herself killed in the process, and Chaos—or Tikal, Sonic isn't sure which of them is the gracious one anymore—saw that moment of self sacrifice as an action of pure heart. He saved her, transformed her into a light elemental. Unfortunately, the girl she had tried to save, Cream, died anyway, and Chaos changed her as well. Amy was quickly appointed to the Summer Elemental position by Tikal and Cream inherited the Spring Elemental position. Because of their strange circumstances, the two girls can choose to be seen by adult humans, which means that they can visit Tails. Sonic usually asks them to take him things, make sure he has enough food, and is paying the bills, but he always feels a touch of spite when he does.

Sonic sighs and takes a few deep breaths to calm down. The wind follows suit and the snow returns to its gentle drift. Really, there are other places he should be right now, but he feels close to his charge when they do this every year. There's a script—Sonic makes it snow, Tails marvels at the window, Sonic watches him come outside and appreciate his hard work—and Sonic isn't willing to break his promise. There's only so long mobians have and he intends to greet every single one of Tails' years.

The fox sits up now and Sonic can hear his sigh all the way across the lawn. He stands and bats snow off his coat before starting back toward the door. So, it's over, just like that. Sonic's green eyes follow him all the way to the door, where he stands on the clear front step and turns back for one last look. The snow is unblemished besides his footfalls and the impression of his body in the middle of the plateau. Already, the holes are being filled in by the falling flakes and Sonic considers stopping the snowfall, but Tails turns and enters the house before Sonic can move. Oh well. Back to your regularly scheduled moping.

Sonic hops off the roof and ghosts over to the place where Tails had lain. There is a snow angel, one of Tails' favorite things to make, but there is something else, something scratched out next to the angel. Sonic bends to get a better look and his heart stops.

 _I know you're there,_ it says in sloppy lettering. The snow is packed in, making the deeply etched letters stand out pretty clearly from the rest of the snow. Sonic stands stiffly and looks back at the house. Tails is standing behind the large kitchen windows, staring at Sonic—or at least at his message—probably try to discern if someone actually _is_ there.

Suddenly, Sonic is moving. He darts across the lawn with the wind on his heels and blows frost on the window in front of Tails' face. The fox jumps and nearly falls backwards, but manages to catch himself. For half a second, Sonic considers what he's doing, knows it's stupid, but he can't stop—not after three years of his farce.

With a shaking hand, he traces letters in the frost, Tails' eyes widening as he takes them in.

_I'm always here._


	2. Crunch

_REWIND & FREEZE  
_

Emerald Hill was due for a snowfall. Granted, it was a beach zone and hadn't seen snow in at least twenty years, but Sonic liked to push things sometimes. The snow wouldn't stick, but the gentle drift of it always brought ecstatic happiness to locals and tourists alike. Not to mention, it looked killer when the snowfall landed in the ocean. The sea this far south was Amy's domain, but, as previously stated, he liked to push things. Oh, Amy would have his head when she found out, but he would be long gone by then.

Yeah, he kinda had a death wish, but it wasn't like she could _actually_ kill him. What was an immortal existence if he couldn't screw with the quarterly balance every now and then?

So, he flew right into the Zone, not heeding the unfamiliar palms or the fact that it was early _October_ —still a little too early for snow in most zones with seasonal cycles, let alone a zone in perpetual summer—and he made it rain.

Well, he made it snow, but whatever. Precipitate. He made it _precipitate_. Chaos, he just wanted to be hip.

As expected, the snow brought nearly everyone in the zone out of their homes. Children spilled out of the school cheering, while the adults wandered around looking confused and vaguely afraid. Sonic heard a few mumbling about an apocalypse and he couldn't help but laugh. His good mood caused the air to chill a bit more, bringing forth rarely used jackets. Kids took to the beach, turning their heads up to the sky to catch snowflakes on their tongues, tugging adults into doing the same. Sonic felt great. Sure, he probably just screwed up a few plants, but Cream would be able to fix that, easy. The joy here was well worth the rant he was gonna get later. Yeah, he was amazing.

He was flying high on his own self indulgence when he smelled it. Or rather, felt it. There was a pulse of familiar energy coming from somewhere near the beach, a primordial energy that reached into his core. His concentration slipped and he plummeted to the ground, barely catching himself before he crashed into the sand. That was elemental energy—young and untamed, but it was definitely elemental. Chaos, was there a _sprite_ hiding out here?

Sonic released the wind, trusting it to take care of itself for a bit, and his feet touched the sand. His shoes—given to him by Amy and Cream years ago when they found out he was running around without anything on his feet—sunk in and he had to pause for a second to get used to the unstable, slippery grains under him. He was used to frozen ground, the crunch and give of snow, not _sand_. What the hell—this was _strange_.

However, he was adaptable— _you've walked on sand before, Sonic, c'mon get it together_ —and he quickly managed to get his sea legs under him. The energy signature was coming from behind a large grouping of rocks, and he padded toward it, nearly silent underneath the sounds of yelling children as the wind picked up and whipped the falling snow around. Sonic rounded a corner, ready to confront whichever lazy sprite was shirking off, and careened to a halt.

It was a small mobian fox. Ragged and bruised, the child looked like he—or she—had been through hell. There were purpling splotches underneath patchy, golden fur, and Sonic could count the kid's ribs from where he stood a few feet away. He felt rage settle in his belly at the sight. This was no sprite. This was a kid.

An elemental kit, from the look of those two tails. Sonic's mouth went dry and he felt his knees go out. He fell backwards and landed solidly in the sand. Chaos, he didn't think kits even still _happened_. There were so few of them left, and with all the new _rules_ —

But, here was proof to the contrary, staring him straight in the face. The kid could clearly see him, had the bluest pair of eyes Sonic had ever seen locked right on him, and the fear the hedgehog saw there ignited a new round of anger. Oh, someone would _pay_.

Elemental children weren't anything new. They only happened when a sprite gave up their immortality and powers in order to live as a mobian, expiration date and all. It was rare—even rarer now that there were clear rules to never _ever_ show oneself to an adult mobian—and the children that resulted usually possessed some type of abnormality. These things were normally ignorable, but, sometimes, they were extreme. An extra tail was a big one, and had clearly resulted in bullying and who knew what else from the normal children. Sonic felt sick and he had to take a few deep breaths to calm down. Poor kid, probably had no idea how special he was.

Slowly, Sonic stood up, keeping his eyes trained on the kid across from him. So far, the kit hadn't done anything but stare at him, too scared to move even a smidge, and Sonic returned that in kind. He didn't want to scare him anymore; Chaos knew the world had done enough of that already.

"Hey," he breathed, ignoring the smoke of his own breath in the abnormal cold. Maybe he hadn't come here on a whim; maybe, just maybe, this kit had been calling to him. He reached out, gloved hand open, toward the child, and had to hold back a hiss as the kid flinched away. "I'm not gonna hurt you."

It occurred to Sonic to wonder where the parents were. This poor child was all alone, and it wasn't like ex-elementals to abandon their offspring. In fact, most elementals were overprotective of their kids. It was super strange to see a kid with an energy signature this strong by themselves. His parents were probably dead, Sonic reflected, which made the whole situation worse. To give up immortality for love and then immediately die... Sonic couldn't imagine it.

The kid blinked those huge eyes at him and Sonic shuffled a bit closer, squatting down so he was eye level with the fox. The child jerked and tried to back away but he collided with the rocks behind him and turned large, startled eyes back at Sonic. He was trapped.

Sonic sighed and blew ice into his hands. Methodically, he smoothed and pulled at the ice, shaping it into a perfect, clear sphere. Then, he held it out to the child, watching as a pair of vulpine ears rose and he leaned closer to get a better look. A tiny, shaking hand rose and came forward. Sonic smiled and pushed his own hands toward the fox. The sphere was snatched out of his hand quickly, cradled against the white fur on the kid's chest, and the kit was back where he started in an instant. Sonic sighed again.

"See kiddo? I'm different from the other people around here. I know you can sense it. We're almost the same."

"The same?" Oh, thank Chaos, he could talk. Sonic had been slightly afraid that the kid was totally feral. "But, you look normal."

"You ever see another blue hedgehog before?"

"...no."

Sonic scooted a little bit closer. Now that the kid was talking, they could get somewhere. "See, I'm different like you."

"Like me? But, I can't do... _this_." He held the ice sphere out as evidence.

Sonic smiled. "You might, one day." Truth was, elemental kids had a fifty percent chance of inheriting their parent's abilities once they hit puberty. It was either become a sprite or become completely mobian, forgetting all about any elemental influence in their life, and they had no control over which direction they went. That was why there were laws in place to keep elementals from giving their powers up for a regular life—it wasn't guaranteed that their children would fill the gap they left. And, with the dwindling elemental population, it was imperative that they keep their numbers up.

"Really?" the kid scooted forward a bit in his excitement before he realized what he was doing. Sonic grinned.

"Yeah, really. Why don't you come with me, kid? You don't belong here, especially all alone."

Really, the fox had nothing holding him back. It was obvious to Sonic that he was being abused and he probably didn't have a place to live. It was a miracle in and of itself that he had managed to survive on his own. Still, the kid paused at the offer, biting his lip.

"How do I know you're not a murderer or something?"

Sonic felt a smile crawl across his face at that. "You have a good point. Look, I'm gonna let you in on a secret—" He leaned toward the fox and the child had no choice but match his movement so their heads where nearly touching. "I'm not mobian. I'm a winter spirit. I bring ice and snow to the world and I watch over children."

"Uh huh," the fox answered, unconvinced, "and I'm the son of Chaos."

"Smart ass aren't you? All right, well, I guess you'll have to let me prove it."

The kid nodded once, unsure, and Sonic stood, holding a hand out. The beach was still pretty crowded and they could still hear the sounds of people so it was pretty safe, at least from the fox's point of view. The child took Sonic's hand and allowed the hedgehog to pull him to his feet. He was short, stunted, and the emaciation was all the more obvious once he was upright. Sonic wanted to spit.

Instead, he took a deep breath and turned to the rocks. "All right, something simple first. How about I frost these rocks?"

The kit nodded again, expression closed off. Sonic stepped toward the rocks and touched one gloved finger to the stone. Immediately, frost bloomed under his finger and spider webbed across the rocks, covering them completely in a few seconds. The child gasped and Sonic felt a pair of small hands wrap around one of his larger ones. "Whoa! What else can you do?!"

Sonic laughed and held his hand out. Ice bloomed again, this time exploding like small fireworks into the air. The child giggled and reached out to catch a falling piece of ice. It melted when it landed on his palm and he turned excited blue eyes toward the hedgehog. Sonic grinned back and swore in that moment that he would do anything to keep that excitement alive for the rest of the child's life.

.

* * *

.

_RETURN & PLAY  
_

As soon as Sonic writes the words on the window he regrets them. Tails' eyes are wide and the implication of what he's done hits Sonic like a ton of bricks. He swallows and rubs the message out with his palm, ignoring the ice that spreads beneath his hand. Chaos, he always loses control of his powers when he's agitated. Tails is gaping and swaying on his feet, about to pass out.

Sonic's just made his life a hell of a lot more difficult.

The hedgehog turns from the window and darts away, running all the way to the edge of the plateau where he dives off the edge. The wind catches him and whisks him away like a dead leaf, tossing him around in his discontent. He's not sure where he's going but as long as it's _away_ he'll be fine.

His fur is icing over, small whorls spreading across the tan of his arms and stomach, crawling up his quills, like armor against his own stupidity. There are _rules_ — For a _reason_. _Chaos, Sonic_ , he thinks, _you're an idiot_. The ice hardens and the wind picks up, swirling him higher and higher over the ocean. _Tails' life is gonna spiral now. What were you_ thinking.

The laws are there to protect both the elemental and mobian populations. Elementals really have no business interfering in mobian lives; there is a natural order to things, and their outside influence will only make things worse. Not to mention, mobians are naturally interested by elemental presences. That's why children love to follow them around. Mobians with a history of elemental interaction are especially susceptible to their energy signatures, and now that Tails is aware that something's up, he's gonna try to figure it out. Problem is, there's _no way_ he'll be able to see Sonic. Sure, passing glances—flashes in peripheral vision or reflections in windows—will happen, but he'll never regain the childlike innocence that allows Sonic to be seen. He might've just doomed Tails to a life of _almost_ —almost understanding, almost seeing him again, almost communicating—and Sonic knows a lot about almost, has been living in almost for the past three years.

He wouldn't wish that on his greatest enemy.

Sonic curses himself all the way to Angel Island, where the wind promptly dumps him on his ass. He hisses as the ice armor chips away and disappears in puffs of shredded hail. He lays in the grass, ignoring the cold that seeps into the land under him, killing the grass. Knuckles is gonna kill him, but that would be preferable to the royal screw up he'll have to face eventually.

It takes the Guardian fifteen minutes to find him and he plants a heavy foot on Sonic's stomach, crushing his organs as he leans over him.

"You're murdering my grass," the echidna hisses, ignoring the ice that creeps up his foot. "Get a hold of yourself. You haven't been upset enough to touch freeze things in at least two hundred years."

Sonic huffs out a breath of frost, the opposite of the usual hot air that escapes, and he feels his lungs seize as they ice over. "I'm freezing _myself_. I'm so _sorry_ about your plants."

Knuckles blinks and his foot presses harder, drawing a crack from the hedgehog's body. It's not the crack of bones; it's the crack of ice, the sound of glaciers fracturing or icicles splintering. The foot disappears and Knuckles falls to sit next to him, ignoring the slight crunch of ice under his body. "What in Chaos's name did you _do_? I've never seen you this upset."

Sonic presses the heels of his hands into his eyes and it takes all of his willpower to keep them from freezing over. "I talked to Tails."

Knuckles takes in a harsh breath. "You _what_? How?"

"I didn't actually talk to him. I wrote a message on a frosted window."

Knuckles groans and his face falls to rest in his hands. "You're an idiot."

"Now you understand why I'm currently in the process of freezing myself."

"Look—" Knuckles looks up again and Sonic is suddenly reminded of the tiny puggle that tumbled out of the last remaining egg, wide eyed and amazed by the four elementals that were ready to greet him to the world. He's part elemental, Sonic remembers suddenly as the echidna places his hand on the ground and the ice melts in a puff of smoke, a distant relative of Tikal. He should've died centuries ago, but he's the last—no doubt frozen in time like the rest of them through necessity alone. His warm hand moves to Sonic's stomach and he places it on the spot where his foot previously ground him to a pulp. The ice inside Sonic sublimities, freeing his lungs and heart. "Maybe this is for the best. You've been _miserable_ for three years."

"This doesn't change anything. Except Tails will probably spiral into _obsession_ —"

"I don't know," Knuckles answers, pulling his hand away. "You might be able to break through to him. He's still got a strong energy signature, even though he's obviously passing into a mobian existence. It might not be too late."

"I can't go against _nature_ —"

"Well, if you're gonna keep slacking off on your duties and moping around here, then, as the Guardian of the Master Emerald, I suggest you give up your position and abilities and follow him to mobian life."

Sonic sits up with a jolt. "Are you _kidding_ me, Knux? I can't do that! I have a responsibility! Not to mention, the laws!"

Knuckles rolls his eyes. "You've thought about it before. Don't lie to me," he cuts across as Sonic opens his mouth to argue. "I know how important Tails is to you. Sonic—you _raised_ him. No one'll judge you for giving up this life to grow with him."

Sonic crosses his arms and turns away, grumbling. "Doesn't change the laws."

"You helped write those," Knuckles points out helpfully. "And you know they're there to keep younger sprites in line. We can't do anything to you if you decide to give up. Hell, you probably won't remember us if you do."

Sonic looks back up at him, face stricken. "I can't... I love Tails like he's my brother, you know? And there's this hole in my chest that grows every time I look at him, but I can't give up my responsibility. I've been around for too long to quit now."

The echidna shrugs. "Then you need to let him go. Or—" he cuts in again when Sonic looks ready to dispute him, " _or_ you try harder to break through to him. Talk to Amy. She can jog a few memories lose. I'll see what I can dig up in the records. He's got a good heart. If worst comes to worst, I can ask Tikal to change him after he dies."

"You know Chaos doesn't change anyone after puberty," Sonic grumbles, picking at the grass around his legs.

"Well, then I guess you just have to work harder."

Sonic squints in Knuckles' direction. "Who are you and what have you done with good, rule-following, hardass Knuckles?"

The echidna laughs. "Sometimes, it's my job to tell you what you need to hear, even if it goes against every fiber of my being."

The hedgehog sighs and the wind picks up, ruffling their fur. "I'm glad you're the last one. I couldn't stand Athair."

Knuckles huffs and he punches Sonic in the shoulder. "You've been pestering me for over five hundred years now. You'd be lost without me."

"I knew there was a reason the wind brought me here."

"Shut up and get out of here before you kill more of my plants."

"Yeah yeah, Metropolis Zone is due for some snow. It's nearly December." Sonic stands and dusts himself off.

"Finally, doing your job. Get a move on Mister Popsicle."

"Haha," the hedgehog deadpans, "I'm outta here." Sonic turns toward the edge of the Island and pauses before he can take a step. "And Knuckles? Thanks."


	3. Squall

Knuckles watches Sonic go before sighing and casting a look at his grass. It's a lost cause really. Knuckles wastes so much time cultivating the Island's plant life—for what? Sonic just breezes through and freezes it all. With another sigh, Knuckles places a hand on the thawing grass and pushes energy into it, drawing new life from the soil. It'll take a day or so, but new grass will grow there if he keeps a close eye on it. Sure, he could get Cream to come in and heal it, bring back the dead plants, but Sonic is a force of nature and Knuckles isn't one to look rebirth in the face and say no. New grass will grow here.

Speaking of plants, he needs to go check the gardens. It's his job to keep the elementals fed, especially those that can't be seen by adults. They don't eat much, maybe once every two or three days, but they have no way to get food in modern times. It used to be that Sonic or Amy could raid a few fields and feed their numbers without the mortals noticing, but, these days, every plant is counted and catalogued. So, Knuckles grows food year round, with Cream's assistance of course, and he has elementals on the Island all the time. Angel Island is a sort of home for them all and Knuckles the glue that holds them together. He acts as farmer, landlord, schedule, and sometimes even therapist.

Only a few elementals have permanent homes here. About a quarter of their numbers are stationed in so-called 'grounded' zones, those zones where seasonal change are rare, like Green Hill or Holoska, to keep the weather and climate from fluctuating too much, but only those that can be seen by mobians. These sprites, saved after death like Amy and Cream, work in simple jobs to provide money to a shared fund, accessible by any elementals with permission from a Seasonal for necessities like clothes and food if they can't make it up to Angel Island, while also keeping the zones' weather intact. Another huge chunk of their sprites don't have homes, simply surviving out in the elements they control. They prefer this life, exist to cause trouble with rain and snow and heat, and they remain mainly unchecked as long as they work within the seasons. The rest work under the main four—well, three considering Sonic refuses to accept help, the bonehead—and they come and go from the Island. The faces around here are always different, but Knuckles remembers them all. It's his job after all.

Sonic is the only Noble besides Knuckles himself that has a house on the Island—a hut in Ice Cap Zone where he keeps all the little trinkets he has gathered over the years—while Amy shares a house with Cream on the surface of the planet. The rest of the houses on the Island are inhabited by Lesser Nobles. Blaze barely lives in hers, preferring to stay on the surface for as long as possible, watching over all the heat sprites that look to her for guidance. Sonia and Manic are far too busy working under Cream and Espio to check in that often, but they do when they can. (Those two are an enigma to Knuckles. Twins born to a rain elemental, both changed at puberty. Before them, it was believed that elementals could only have one child inherit their powers, but here they are. Twin rain makers, one spring and one autumn; they fight like cats and dogs, but they're always together when they aren't working.) Silver is here the most, if only because his job brings him back all the time. The second fastest wind elemental after Sonic, he works as a messenger between the main branches. He can sense where any elemental is if he knows their name and wants to find them, and he's constantly running around, carrying messages between Knuckles and the Seasonals, between the main four—mainly Sonic and Amy—and to random sprites if he has to. When not working, he can be found lounging in the sun or pestering Blaze. Really, he's the most annoying person Knuckles has ever met; it figures that he would be the one he has to talk to all the time.

"Hey Knuckles!" Speak of the devil, Silver catches him when's a few yards from the greenhouses, all windswept quills and a huge smile. Chaos, here's the bane of his existence, standing right in front of him, and he can't even punch him. That would be _rude_ , Knuckles, he thinks to himself.

Knuckles grunts at Silver and picks up speed. It's useless—Silver's as fast as the wind he controls—but he likes making Silver work for his attention. The wind gusts and then the hedgehog's hovering in front of him, bobbing with a small squall under his feet. Showoff. "What?" the Guardian barks out. Silver doesn't flinch.

"Tikal wants to see you." No nonsense, no jab, just the message. Must be serious. Knuckles nods and casts a look at the greenhouses. A few of Cream's plant sprites are lounging in the sun, waiting for him to come order them around, and he gestures at them with a sweep of his hand.

"Tell the sprites to get to work on the carrots and that I'll be there in a few minutes. If we finish early today they can go for the week."

"What do I look like," Silver gripes but turns all the same, shoulders back, "your personal page?"

Knuckles bites back a sarcastic retort and turns away, ignoring Silver in favor for jogging in the direction of the Master Emerald shrine. Tikal doesn't send for him that often, usually waits for him to contact her, so this must be huge. He has more than half of an idea of what it's about, but he doesn't assume anything when it comes to Tikal. She always manages to surprise him.

When he reaches the Master Emerald, he finds Tikal hovering right outside of the gem, partially see through like always but uncharacteristically worried. She's fidgeting, worrying her lip and fiddling with her hands, and he takes the steps up to the top of the shrine two at a time. She composes herself once she sees him but he knows it's just an act, and he can tell that she knows that he knows; she appreciates the effort though and it helps her relax a smidge.

"You sent for me?" he asks, contemplating bowing in respect but forgoing it in light of her worry. Routine doesn't have a place when Tikal summons.

"Yes," she answers, voice echoing through his head. She doesn't have a corporeal form so she can't make noise anymore than a corpse in the ground, so she has to resort to projecting her words straight into his skull. It's weird, nearly disconcerting, but he's used to it. "Sonic was here."

Knuckles nods. "He was."

"I heard all of it," she cuts across, obviously not in the mood to play cat and mouse with him. Fair enough, he isn't very keen on the idea of lying to her. "It's very unsettling."

"Sonic's the second oldest elemental. I'd imagine that you wouldn't want to lose one of your little knights."

Knuckles is pushing it. He's not exactly happy with Tikal; it's through her actions that Sonic's in this situation and it's hard to see Sonic hurting. More than that, Tikal has more to worry about than just Sonic's wellbeing—she's got to take the planet's balance into account after all—and she won't hesitate to sacrifice a few lives to make sure that the whole thing keeps turning. It's harsh, but Knuckles understands; but he also cares more for Sonic than Tikal's chess game. Chaos knows that Sonic deserves a little give after everything he's been through.

She sends him a hurt expression, one so pure and true that he nearly takes his words back right then. She cares for the Nobles at the very least—Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, Guardian, Sacrifice—is one herself after all, and he wonders what she's thinking. She wouldn't have called him here if she didn't have a request. "Sonic is very dear to me. He was the first season specific elemental and he's changed this world is so many ways. To lose him would be mobius shattering."

"Well," Knuckles begins shortly, hotly, nearly at a bark; she flinches, "what do you suggest we do? He's on a one-way trip to heartbreak."

Tikal sighs and goes back to worrying her hands, looking down at her fidgeting digits as she speaks. "I'll have to speak with Chaos."

"We don't have time for that!" Knuckles throws his hands up and the Master Emerald sparks at his anger. Tikal flinches again. "I need to know if you can change Tails."

She looks up then, sharp. "No. He is mobian."

Knuckles huffs. "Can you save him after he dies?"

She bites her lip again. "It's possible..." She trails off and cocks her head to the side, listening to something. "But only if he dies in the next four years. Once he hits twenty years old, the Chaos Energy in his body will be depleted and there will be no way to save him."

The living echidna's eyes narrow, dangerous and angry. "You've always told us that you can't save anyone after puberty."

"It's risky." She stares back, formidable. "But he has a strong elemental signature even now. His parent must have been very old."

Knuckles files that away for further research in the archive and instead focuses on a bigger worry. "And if he doesn't die in the next four years?"

She holds up her hands, empty and helpless. "Then it's out of my hands. Sonic will have to make a decision."

"He'll pick winter over Tails. His sense of responsibility will make him."

"Then the child will live out his life in peace. That's the best for both of them."

Knuckles feels his heart drop into his shoes at her complacent tone. "And when Tails dies? Do I need to remind you what happened to Mighty?"

Her head whips up and Knuckles swears that her eyes flash, angry and defiant. "We will not let that happen again. I will sacrifice myself a thousand times before I let Sonic go through that." She sighs and Knuckles swears that he can feel the wind pick up in response. "There are two options here," she continues with new fire. The complacency is gone in face of the reminder of Mighty's mistakes—of all of their mistakes, "you can take Sonic's memories of Tails from him—"

"You know I can't do that."

"—or you help him. It's possible to shake teenagers out of forgetfulness. Their minds are elastic enough, but it'll be hard. Tails is a smart child so he has more control over his mind than most. You might be able to do it." She presses her hands into her eyes and Knuckles swears he hears her choke back a few tears. "History will not repeat itself. I promise you that." She begins to fade away. "And, if he doesn't die in the next four years, don't try to kill him yourself. His death has to be a moment of self sacrifice or I can't help him." Her form is completely gone as her voice whispers once more, "Good luck, Guardian."

* * *

 

After dusting Metropolis Zone with snow, Sonic goes looking for Amy. The house she shares is in Station Square, a short train ride from Mystic Ruins and Tails, and it doesn't take Sonic long to find her walking down the street in her coat with Cream at her side. The little rabbit is skipping around in a light jacket, proof enough that Amy's cold intolerance is through the roof—despite the snow in Mystic Ruins, the city is relatively warm, well above freezing—but that comes from her season. She prefers tropical temperatures and Sonic knows that the only reason she lives in this city is because of its proximity to Tails. No matter how much Sonic bickers with her, she still makes an effort to watch out for his little brother and he'll always owe her for that.

He swoops down and lands on his feet next to the pair. Cream pauses in her skipping to give him a big grin but doesn't move to hug him like she usually would. They're visible to mortals then.

"What do you want, Sonic?" Amy mumbles out of the side of her mouth, steadfast in her forward stare. "We're going to see Tails later."

Sonic rolls his eyes. "I need to talk to you about something."

"We _are_ talking about something."

Sonic ignores her annoyed tone. "Something important."

Amy sighs. "We can't do this here. They can see us."

"I figured." Sonic takes a deep breath, and decides to cut his losses and just take the plunge. "Fine, okay. Look, I talked to Tails."

"You _what_?!" Amy gasps, ignoring the sharp glances she gets from the mobians around them.

"I made you a flower crown," Cream cuts in, answering Amy's question for curious mobian ears.

"Nice save, Creamy." Sonic rubs her head in an affectionate gesture and she grins up at him. Her chao huffs a bit and drops down on top of her head, obviously not happy with Sonic's presence.

"Oh, well, that's very nice," Amy answers Cream instead of acknowledging Sonic. She looks forward again and walks a few more paces.

Suddenly, in a flare of flame, Amy's second-in-command, Blaze, a fire elemental, appears in front of Sonic. The hedgehog grins at her and she spares him a small smile in return. "Amy," she greets, ignoring the groan that comes from the pink girl, "Green Hill Zone is steady and I sent a few sprites to fix a frozen lake in Aquatic Ruin." She shoots an accusatory glance at Sonic, who simply raises his hands in defense. She knows as well as him that he doesn't keep tabs on all of the ice sprites in the world.

Blaze is older than Sonic by a few hundred years, one of the original twelve that worked under the first elemental, and her control and power are envied by nearly every sprite. She's one of his closest friends and Sonic finds their whole friendship ironic—winter and summer's second, fire and ice, as thick as thieves—but they never miss an opportunity to get together and kvetch like old fogies about anything and everything.

Amy groans again for good measure and swerves into an alleyway, dragging Cream with her. Sonic shrugs at Blaze and follows, feet silent on the sidewalk. Blaze is hot on his heels and she nearly crashes into his back when he freezes as Amy whirls around and pins him with a heated glare.

"You both know better than to talk to us when we're visible!" she nearly screeches, voice ripping through two octaves for the fun of it. Cream winces and presses her large ears into her head; Sonic sends her a sympathetic glance.

Blaze is stoic as she moves to stand beside him. "I assumed you were invisible because you were speaking with Sonic. I apologize."

Amy seethes and doesn't reply. Instead, she crosses her arms and faces Sonic with a thundercloud expression. It takes all of the blue hedgehog's will to keep himself from taking a few steps back. "What's this about you _talking_ to Tails?"

"Um." Sonic replies eloquently.

"If I may," Blaze cuts in, "you are both still visible. Maybe we should move this conversation to a more private location?"

Cream brightens at that suggestion and points up at the roof of the building next to them. "How about up there? I doubt there'll be anyone around."

"Good idea," Sonic says quickly. The wind scoops him up before anyone else can reply and whirls him onto the roof seconds later. He sighs and gives Amy and Cream about five minutes to get up here. Neither one of them can fly like he can, so it'll take them a bit to get up the stairs. Plenty of time to come up with what he's gonna say to Amy.

Approximately two point seven seconds later, Amy's voice comes from behind him. "Can't get away that quickly."

Sonic yelps and jerks around. "Chaos, how do you _do_ that?"

"A lady never reveals her secrets. Now, _Tails_?"

"Where's Cream?"

"I sent her with Blaze. They have some plants to fix or something. Stop changing the subject. Do you want my help or not?"

"I wish I didn't," Sonic mumbles before squaring his shoulders and facing her completely. "I contacted Tails."

Amy watches his expression, looking for any signs of a lie, and, when she doesn't find any, she sighs and moves to sit on the concrete lip at the edge of the roof. She pats the stone next to her and Sonic speeds over to sit next to her. "How?"

"I wrote on a frosted window."

"How'd he take it?"

"He looked sick." Sonic grimaces. "I didn't stick around long to see much of his reaction. I went to Angel Island and talked to Knuckles."

Amy rolls her eyes. "Of course you talked to Knuckles. You _always_ talk to Knuckles when you're in trouble." Sonic opens his mouth to argue against that, but she holds up a hand to stop him. "What did Knuckles say?"

"Well, first he told me to give up my abilities and go live with Tails."

Amy snorts. "Bet you said no to that."

"Got it in one."

The girl shakes her head. "He should know you better than that by now."

"Well, I haven't been doing my job lately, so he kinda has a point. Anyway, he also told me to try to make Tails, uh, remember."

Amy's response comes immediately. "That's impossible."

Sonic shrugs and picks at a touch of frost on his glove, watching as it flakes off and falls to the ground. No matter the temperature of the air, his skin is always covered in frost. It keeps the rest of him warm— _an insulating layer_ Tails told him once long ago—but it never fails to get everywhere. He has distinct memories of having to constantly mop up water when he stayed in the workshop for long stretches of time. "I said as much, and he said we should try. You never know."

Amy stares at him, at the frost that's slowly drifts off him in his nervous fidgeting, back to him, and then sighs, puffing her bangs up and away from her face. She leans forward and puts a hand on his own, burning through the frost and turning it to steam. It takes all of his self control to keep from jerking away. The girl pats his fist once before leaning back on her hands, face turned to the sky. "You want me to talk to him, right?"

Sonic blinks, suddenly reminded of how perceptive she is, and nods once, a sharp, mechanical move that snaps his chin into his chest. "Yeah, I was hoping you would try. Please," he adds when she turns back to him, face unreadable. "I don't know how it'll work or how you should do it, but yeah. You know him almost as well as I do."

She watches him for a few seconds with that blank expression before sighing. "I try to hate you, you know? I used to, I think, a long time ago. But then you brought Tails to Angel Island and I couldn't. Watching you interact with him made me realize that you're not a worthless sack of one-liners without any work ethic. You raised him better than some parents and the way you are when you're around him... You're just so at ease, calm... grounded." She smirks. "The complete opposite of the airhead that plunged the planet into a small ice age half a century ago because you were, and I quote, 'bored.'"

"Hey now! I fixed that!"

" _I_ fixed it."

"With my help!"

"It was your fault!"

Sonic bites back a barbed reply and swallows it before speaking again. "So, will you do it?"

"Well," she begins, picking at her own glove in a near replication of him a few minutes earlier sans frost, "I wasn't planning on staying at the workshop for very long—just long enough to drop off some presents and make sure he's okay. I got a report this morning that Eggman has some of my sprites and I have to rescue them before he drains them." She bites her lip, obviously at a loss. Sonic can't imagine what she's going through. She wants to help Tails, but she has an obligation to her sprites.

He makes the decision for her. "I'll go get them if you go see Tails."

One of her eyebrows rises into her hairline. " _You_?"

"I'm not totally useless. I can handle myself in a fight." So saying, the wind picks up, whipping him up into a somersault. He lands on his feet and claps his hands together, pulling them apart to form a small sword made of ice. It's a heavy, comforting weight in his hand and he twirls it once for flair. "I've snuck into the doc's bases before. Need I remind you of who caused the last one's meltdown?"

Her other eyebrow climbs to join its twin and she rolls her eyes at his ice weapon. "Yeah, you nearly made the thing blow up and take out a whole Zone! Besides, the new one is in Marble Zone— _on an active volcano_. I'm pretty sure the heat alone would kill you."

He _tsks_ under his breath. "You let ole Sonic worry about that. I'll get Blaze and we'll gatecrash that party. Your sprites will be safe and sound by the time you're done with Tails."

She sighs in the air of someone who's just lost a battle and Sonic grins. "Only if you take Blaze," she acquiesces, " _and_ Silver."

"Aaaaaah!" he groans, "Silver's only gonna stand there he whole time and make googly eyes at Blaze! And!" he cuts across, looking and feeling victorious, "Silver has a _job_!"

"I highly doubt that all of elemental society will dissolve if we can't send messages to each other for a few hours."

"Silver can't even fight!"

"Yes, but he's quick and he's good at defending."

"Yeah yeah, he can move inanimate objects with his brain or something. He'll just hold us back."

Amy crosses her arms. "Those are my terms. Take them or leave them."

Sonic groans again, but he nods again. Sure, a few hours with Silver will make him want to stab himself in the eye with a blunt pencil, but Tails is worth a little agony. Besides, Blaze will be there to keep him quiet and calm. They should be okay.

"Fine."


	4. Zephyr

Each crunch of snow under her boots reverberates through her body, shaking her to the core. The white is still unblemished, sparkling, bright, perfection under the sun. It's quiet—only the wind and the sea beyond the cliffs making any noise. This land is ancient, but it shouldn't be deserted; there should be laughter and happiness here. There's no one to play in the snow, no one to trek through it to the train station, no one to sled down the hills with or build snowmen with. Tails is truly alone out here, and the idea of that loneliness socks her straight in the gut, taking her breath away.

(There had once been life and wonder here. Every summer they had picnics in the sun, roasted marshmallows over Blaze's fire, laid in the grass and looked up at the stairs. Spring found Tails flying around with Cream, watching in wonder as she pressed life into plants with the tips of her fingertips, painted flower buds across the landscape, breathed warmth into the air that chased away the last of Sonic's frost. Autumn was large piles of leaves and a swooping, looping fox, dive bombing and throwing oranges, reds, and yellows into the air. Winter— Well, winter was the best. Sonic's domain: snowball fights to rival the wars of old, small snow families, each with different scarves because Tails insisted they would get ill otherwise, lopsided snow angels, footprints scattered around in varying sizes. There were whispered promises, so quiet Amy was sure she wasn't supposed to hear them. _You'll have a power one day_ , Sonic told Tails as the fox soaked the cold of the snow into his body, _and you'll be able to change the world, just like us_.)

Her pace speeds up at the thought, feet crushing angry holes in the snow as she climbs the plateau to the workshop, bag smashing into her leg with each agitated movement. The building is quiet, a perfect match for the landscape that threatens to take it over, but Amy knows that Tails is here. The curtains are drawn over the large bank of windows that face the huge area of the plateau and that— That brings her to a stop. Tails never pulls the curtains over those windows, leaves them open so he can see out— _and so Sonic can see in_ , her mind adds, but she ignores it. Tails doesn't know Sonic is there.

There is a harsh slash of ice across the glass, she realizes as she resumes her trek and draws close, trepidation and dread dripping into her veins, and, just barely, she can see the incriminating letters hidden under the ice, etched into a light layer of frost. Oh Sonic, you poor, poor fool. Despite herself, she squints further, takes in the swoops of each character. His hand was sure, the letters clearly defined, innocuous, _I'm always here_ , as if the very letters themselves aren't life shattering. Chaos, what had he been _thinking_ —

No, no, now isn't the time. She can fuss at him later. For now, she has a confused fox kit to worry about.

She knocks a few times and stands for far too long in the cold, hands shoved into the pockets of her coat, shivering her tail off in Sonic's stupid snow. There is no sound from the house, no sign that Tails heard her, and she sighs before trying the knob. It's locked—because Tails _listens_ , and Sonic once told him to _always_ lock up, so he does—and she swipes her hand across the edge of the doorjamb for the keypad. It appears as a hologram and she struggles through the combination, never quite used to the see-through not-numbers. She gets it eventually, and the lock clicks as it disengages, the door swinging open under her hand.

"Tails...?" she calls softly as she sticks her head in. The house is dark and silent, only the creaking of the wind outside breaking the sense eating void. Amy kicks her shoes off and drops her bag once she steps all the way in, the door swishing shut and plunging her into complete darkness. With a sigh, she snaps her fingers and a small ball of light appears in her palm, drawn forth by the friction. Strange shadows appear before her, menacing shapes that threaten to attack at a moment's notice, and she scowls and huffs before padding forward in her socks, whispering quiet.

It takes two full walkthroughs of the whole house for her to spot him on the couch. He's burrowed under a blanket up to his nose, ears poking just barely over the edge of the armrest, eyes staring right through the room, the wall, the _world_ in front of him. There's a cup of cold tea on the coffee table before him, and she nudges it over so she can sit in his sightline. He doesn't see her, instead breathes once, twice, thrice, and blinks slowly, as if it is a chore and not a basic function. The blanket is a lumpy mess, curled around his legs and namesakes, not really doing anything but making him look small and chaotic.

"Tails..." She lets a long breath out of her nose and reaches forward to shake his shoulder.

His eyes snap up to her then, pupils blown wide by the lack of light, skate down her extended hand, up her arm, whirl past her face, and settle on the warm, yellow light ball still cradled in her other hand. Tails sucks in a harsh breath and recoils into the back of the couch, legs coming up so he can curl into himself. "Not you _toooo_..." he wails into his knees, voice broken, cracked like a parched desert.

Okay, he definitely hadn't been able to see her light balls last month. Maybe this whole idea wasn't so farfetched.

She lets the light go, dropping them back into complete darkness. There's no sense in agitating him further after all, and this conversation might be easier if she can't see him. She won't be able to go through with this if she can see his face breaking as he realizes what's going on, or denial as he refuses to believe in them. Either way, it's best for now to keep them in the dark.

"Tails, Tails," Amy tries to grab his shoulder again, but he slaps her hand away. The hit stings, and she snatches her arm back, hurt. Breathe Amy, he didn't mean it. He's confused and hurting. " _Tails_ ," she sighs, leveraging her hands into her knees, "I know you're scared, but—"

"I'm not scared!" Suddenly, he's alive with energy, manic with it. She feels him whip up, feels his stare in her head, hears his breathing pick up as he works himself into a frenzy. "I'm angry! Sonic's _here_! He's been here the whole time, and no one _told_ me!"

Okay, here she is, prepared to convince him that Sonic never left, and he goes and says something like that. She isn't sure where to go next, has no idea what to say, but she doesn't have to worry about that, because Tails steamrolls on.

"Why did he leave me, Amy? Why did he leave if he was just gonna stick around? He's haunting me! Does he hate me? Am I that much of a burden?" His voice cracks and the angry energy turns into depression—like a snap of fingers or the flip of a coin. "Did I annoy him so much that he had to get away?"

" _What_?" she all but demands, sliding off the coffee table and onto her knees so she's eye-to-eye with him. " _No,_ Tails, honey..." Suddenly, she feels like she's gone back in time, back when Tails was a tiny thing, no more than ears and eyes and matted, dirty fur, and she has to comfort him after a hard winter storm. Back when Sonic had to sprinkle snow and leave Tails with her or Knuckles while he worked. Tails had worried about Sonic abandoning him even then, and it broke her heart to see it again. Except, this time, it is real, as far as he knows. "He— He had _no choice_ , do you understand me? He had to leave you, but he's always been looking out for you. He was never _really_ gone."

"He had _no choice_ ," he parrots back, voice harsh, disbelieving. With a tone like that, he's a dangerous little thing, city crumbling, unforgiving, angry, the total opposite of the kind-hearted child that clothed snowmen and nursed birds back to health. "Don't lie to me, Amy."

Amy's eyes narrow at that and she feels a growl bubble up her throat. Tails' anger must be contagious, because, suddenly, she's infuriated right with him. "I'm _not_ ," she presses, and snaps her fingers, drawing the light out again. With a flick of her hand, she throws it toward the far wall, where it sails in a clean arc before smacking into the wall and recoiling. It hovers there, illuminating the wall and the many pictures that decorate it. All taken on old film—digital cameras can't capture Elements, a phenomenon they have yet to figure out—they tell the story of Tails' life, from the day Sonic adopted him and carted him up to Angel Island to a few weeks before he lost the ability to see them. There's Sonic teaching Tails to read, Knuckles hoisting the kid over his head and helping him learn to fly with his namesakes, Amy and Cream curled around him as they all nap in the sun, Silver teasing him while Blaze looked on, vaguely amused. Tails grows in the pictures, drawing equal in height to Cream and then overcoming her, and the last photo shows him only a half an inch shorter than Sonic. The hedgehog is leaning on his shoulder, smile bright, but there's something behind his eyes—he knew Tails was forgetting, that it would only be a matter of time before he lost the ability to see them, and he was already mourning, even then.

"I'm _not lying_ , Tails," she hisses, throwing her arm toward the pictures. "I know you see now. I know you can see it. _Look_ —you're so _smart_ , use that brain of yours. Don't let your instincts get the better of you. Don't be like all the other children," she's begging now, but she can't bring herself to care as Tails' face seeps into confusion and concern. Her throat is thickening with tears, tears for Sonic and his pain, tears for the countless number of their kind that found children to love and then lost. "Just... _Look_."

Tails' eyes follow her arm and his gaze settles on the pictures. They swim up and down the wall, tracing the timeline of his life, and she watches as his expression becomes vaguely frustrated. "I— I _am_ , okay? And I don't— I _know_ there's something, but I can't..." He trails off, grasping at the air, unable to articulate himself.

"We _never age_ , Tails," she breathes. He _has_ to notice. She knows, vaguely, that the magic and energy that makes mobians forget also makes them look past certain things, and their lack of growth in those photos would be one of those, but now... He has to see it. "Don't you remember? Snow days with Sonic? Spring showers that made plants bloom immediately? Clear summer nights with just the perfect amount of heat? We— We did that, for you. Sonic he— He adopted you when he shouldn't have. It wasn't his place, but damn if we didn't encourage him."

Tails looks back to the wall of pictures, but he doesn't look at them. Instead, his eyes float to the light still bobbing there, casting a warm glow on the room. He watches it, blue eyes going up and down with it, and she can see his mind working, cogs turning, knowledge flipping past, memories shaking lose and escaping their prison. "You're _elem—_ " The word chokes off in his throat, his very being fighting against him as he tries to remember. "You're— Sonic's a—" His eyes turn to her, helpless, a prisoner to the magic that sustains them and keeps the planet in balance and turning. She can't imagine how hard he must be fighting.

"I can't help you." She wants nothing more than to say it for him, get it out into the air so he can simply nod, but it he has to do it, or else he'll always be a hostage to this sick world they live in.

He grimaces and she sees his jaw set, spine straightening as he tries to get his thoughts in order. "Amy Rose, you are..." he breaks off again, choking, " _...summer_."

"Yes, good Tails, very good. What about Cream? Can you remember?"

"Cream's... spring?" He looks up at Amy's enthusiastic nod, as if he is a four-year-old learning new vocabulary and not a sixteen-year-old genius. "And Sonic's... Sonic's winter." A smile spreads across his face as his brain finally jostles itself free of its lockdown. "You're _elementals_..."

"Yes!" Amy cries, falling forward to pull him into a tight hug. "You remembered! Oh, I knew you could do it! Wait until Sonic hears about this!"

Tails laughs in her arms, a slightly hysterical thing. "But, I don't even know what that means! What on mobius is an elemental?"

Amy's happiness crashes into itself at that and she pulls back to look at him square on. That was too easy. Of _course_ there was some kind of catch. He is properly confused, staring up at her with his eyebrows pulled down into a small V, crease between his eyes becoming even more pronounced the longer they sit there. "What?" She can feel dread creeping up her spine. What a cruel trick—let him remember what they are, but not what that entails. She is going to have a _talk_ with Tikal if this doesn't turn around _right now_.

"Elementals... I don't..."

"You don't— You don't know?"

He throws his hands up. "I _think_? I'm not sure! I just know... I know that Sonic has something to do with winter, and that he's been gone for three years and..." His head whips up then as something occurs to him. His eyes flash, blue fire, terrifying in their own right. "If you're the same, why can I see you, but not him?"

He's getting frustrated and she doesn't want to push him. They've had enough anger today. "You know what? I think that can wait. I need to— There are some people I need to talk to to get this straightened out."

"Knuckles?" he asks then, looking mystified as his brain supplies the name. "You have to talk to him, right?"

"Yes..." she nods, unsure how much information she should give him. Chaos, she was only supposed to see if this was possible, not actually go through with it. This is risky. For all they know, this kind of memory dislocation can cause brain damage. Sonic is going to kill her. But, they've come this far. To stop now would be cruel. "Here, how about this. You ask me anything and I'll answer. That way, we can sort out just what you remember. Sound good?"

He worries his lip for a second, casting another look at the light ball. "Okay..."

Amy sighs and moves to sit next to him on the couch, gathering the blanket and draping it over both of them. As an afterthought, she holds her palm out toward her little light and it zooms back; she crushes it between her fingers bringing the darkness back. Darkness is their new revelation medium, and they're gonna be here a while.


	5. Molten

Sonic meets Blaze and Silver in Green Hill, right on the edge of the Zone. Blaze is perched in a tree, feet balanced on the branch, arms crossed, wind teasing the hem of her coat. Silver is at the base of the trunk, playing around with a handful of leaves, swirling them around on a gust of wind, looking entirely too bored for the occasion.

Sonic alights a few feet away, landing with barely a sound, but Silver and Blaze still hear him, and he sees their eyes turn toward him. Blaze inclines her head in his direction, nodding her greeting, and Silver jumps up with a gust of wind, practically flouncing toward him with a beaming smile on his face.

"Sonic!" he greets, nothing but exuberance and optimism. Sonic sighs and gives him a small smile in return. "Haven't seen you in a while! How have you been?"

"Been better. What about you?" Sonic forces nonchalance into his voice, trying to keep himself from sounding irritated. All he wants is to get this show on the road so he can meet up with Amy and find out how it went with Tails. The sooner they get moving the better.

"Same old, same old. Still the messenger. Still ready whenever you need me."

Sonic sighs and reaches up to pat him on the shoulder. "And if I ever need help, I know who to call."

Silver deflates, drawing away, and Sonic feels a bit like he's been socked in the gut. But only a bit. "Oh... All right."

Silver has been campaigning to be Sonic's second in command for centuries, but Sonic refuses to bite; he doesn't want to lose another, not again—not after everything that happened with the last one. Still, Silver is persistent, and he comes off as too eager and a bit fanboyish, which helps Sonic continue to shoot him down and not feel _too_ guilty. Besides, he already has a high ranking job. Who would be the messenger if he switched?

Now Silver's doing a great impression of a kicked puppy, and Sonic is fighting every urge he has to feel bad. He's protecting Silver, he really is, and really—who is Silver to ask for a new job anyway? Being the messenger is closest any Elemental can get to freedom. He doesn't have to work for a season and he gets to see the world nearly every day. Sonic would kill for that much freedom.

Luckily, before Sonic's conscience can fight against his common sense and accept Silver's offer, Blaze speaks from her perch. "Doctor Eggman has returned to his base with quite a few summer sprites. I suggest we move now." Sonic glances up at her and catches the whirl of her coat as she spins her way out of the tree, landing with grace next to them. A small patch of grass dies to her fire, but none of them blink. "You can continue your hero worship at a later date, Silver," she adds when she sees Silver's crushed expression.

"Hey!" Her goading elicits its desired reaction and Silver perks up in indignation. "I was only seeing if Sonic changed his mind!"

"You've been waiting for him to do that for over a hundred years—give it up." Blaze gives him a supportive pat on the shoulder, which helps take of the sting off her words. As he sputters and blushes, she turns to Sonic. "The base is perched in an active volcano," she begins flatly, gazing at his ice glazed fur, "how do you plan to—?"

Sonic winks at her, which draws an eye roll from the cat. "This is how I see it: Eggman's human right? That means he has to keep his base cool or he couldn't survive in there. All I have to do is make it through the entrance and I'll be golden."

Blaze sighs. "Yeah, but the entrance is about thirty meters from the edge of the lava and that doesn't even _count_ the residual heat. You'll be fried before you even reach the magma."

"Uh," Silver cuts in before Sonic can answer, "I can't survive in extreme heat either. I'm just a normal Wind Elemental—"

"Look, Blaze, ice acts as an insulating layer. If I coat myself in enough of it, it'll keep my core temperature steady."

"Ice and _volcano_ —Sonic, _please_ —that'll never work—!"

"It'll work if I keep renewing the layers, doubty Debby."

"How are you gonna do that, run, and dodge robots?"

"What're you here for, then? You can keep me safe!"

"Guys!" Silver's voice splits their argument in two. "What. About. Me? I can't take the heat, and if Sonic's ice trick works, I can't use it either!"

Sonic claps a hand on his shoulder, crocodile smile spreading across his face. "Guess you're stuck here then, kid. We'll bring you a souvenir."

"What?! No! I can help! C'mon, Blaze—Blaze! Tell him!"

Blaze casts a wary glance toward the western sky. "We don't have time for this; the sun's setting. Try to find a way in and meet us inside. We need to move."

Silver gapes after her, looking completely betrayed, as she turns and lopes away, pausing once to look back when she reaches the Zone border. Sonic nods towards Silver and zips after her, catching up in milliseconds.

o0o

Getting past the lava is surprisingly easy, especially since there are no overkill bots patrolling. It takes a bit more ice than Sonic anticipated and he feels fatigue settling behind his eyes when they finally crash through the doors. Almost immediately, blast doors slam shut to keep the heat out, and Blaze sighs, looking only slightly scorched. Her heat abilities protect her from most high temperatures, but even the extreme heat of the volcano takes its toll on her body. They lean against the doors for a few seconds, feeling the heat seep through in infinitesimal amounts, drawing a bit of energy from the air, before starting off down the hallway.

The base is set up in a large concentric spiral, each hallway curving into the next in an endless circle that was probably meant to slow down any sort of rescue. Large robots—Egg Pawns, Sonic likes to call them—drop from the ceiling intermittently, wielding large Chaos weapons. The robots are no problem, except Sonic doesn't have the energy to fight them after that dash through the heat. He settles for kicks and punches, using only his wind abilities when absolutely necessary. This draws a few concerned glances from Blaze between enemy waves but he brushes them off.

"I'm fine!" he yells across to her as she slices clean through a trio of robots with a wave of flame. "Pay attention to the 'bots! I can handle myself!"

"Yeah right!" she answers, and Sonic feels compelled to prove it to her. He lashes his hand out, sending four flying daggers of ice toward a robot, where they embed deeply into its head, knocking it back into one of its compatriots, causing both to explode in a multicolor blob that lights up the whole hallway. He stumbles almost immediately, body protesting, and falls so his back hits the wall, chest heaving at the strain. "You're gonna kill yourself!" Blaze's voice is thin over the din, and a bright slash of fire slams across the hall, cutting every robot clean through. She glides across the corridor in three equal strides and slides to lean over him, warm hands cupping his face. He hisses as her natural heat reacts against his cold, creating steam out of the ice on his face, and she jerks back.

"I'm fine," he grits out again, struggling to stand. He's a bit woozy and the room spins, but he manages it. "Let's just get those sprites. I won't let Eggman drain anymore."

She looks ready to argue, but more robots drop from the ceiling, causing her to jerk around and smash a wall of flame into them. Seven of the fifteen catch fire, falling over as they flail, attempting to put it out. Idly, Sonic wonders what kind of evil genius builds a base on a _volcano_ and doesn't make his robots flame resistant. There are eight robots still standing, and Blaze surges forward, blades of flame forming in her hands. They sear through metal like butter, dropping robots in seconds with bright slashes of light.

Sonic takes the last four, calling upon his wind abilities to kick his speed on. He uses the first robot as a springboard, grinding his heels in to destroy the delicate mechanics inside before propelling himself up. Then, the fight becomes a simple game of pinball as he bounces from each, slashing through them with his quills. They crash into the ground in two pieces, sparking and whirring.

Once all the robots are taken care of, they begin forward again. By silent consensus, they agree that stealth is more useful in this situation than straight aggression, but, the problem is, the halls are curved—not really conducive to hiding. Still, they manage to avoid most of the robots just by dodging, and they end up close the center in no time. Sonic's energy is still really low, especially with all of the wind he has to use to keep his speed up, but wind doesn't take as much as ice, so he should be okay as long as he keeps it in check.

Then, they round a corner and he gets straight up nailed in the shoulder with a Chaos gun.

He curses, falling backwards, taking Blaze with him, his shoulder nothing more than a gaping hole of ice and blood. Immediately, his body starts to heal itself, eating away at the last of his energy reserves, and the world begins to wobble dangerously in front of him. Blaze is babbling above him, one hand pressing into his wound, the other gesturing toward the corner. He couldn't make the words out through the cotton in his ears and he feels milky exhaustion drip into his blood stream, but he manages to pick his two ton head up so he can look. A hoard of Egg Fighters are stomping toward them, guns trained right on their prone forms. Sonic sighs and leans back against the wall, letting his head fall back.

Sonic is very aware of his abilities and limitations—you have to be when using too much energy can kill you—and he knows when he's spent. His arms are long, useless tree trunks attached to his body, but he wrestles them into submission and pushes Blaze away. "Get the sprites," he grounds out, ignoring her shocked expression, "leave me and save them."

Blaze is older than him, used less energy to get through the lava, and simply has more power because fire Elementals _need_ more, what with the nature of their abilities. She can probably make it to the center and get the sprites out without breaking a sweat. Then, if by some miracle, she can come back and get him. It's the only feasible course of action now that he's a useless sack of ice crystals.

He still can't really hear, but he sees her say _no_ , face stony, and he wants to argue, but he can't. She says something else, jaw clenching, expression setting into determination. She stands, shoulders squaring, marches a few feet away, and spreads her feet, grounding herself. Sonic has to loll his head to follow her, ignoring the black creeping into the edges of his vision, and he sees her hands spread, palms pointing down, fingers splayed, arms shaking all the way down to the tips of her digits. Luckily, the robots are slow, and they aren't very smart, so she has ample time.

Sonic feels a rumble underneath him and he only has a few seconds to think _huh_ , _that's strange_ , before the floor begins to crack, large fractures that spider web from under her hands. Then, there's something red-orange oozing from the fissures and the heat hits him like a sucker punch to the throat. He gasps, and Blaze's muffled words from earlier finally uncurl in his mind, sense coming in front on high: " _Ice yourself, Sonic."_

He scrambles, yanking at the last of his energy to coat himself in a layer of ice. He only manages a thin veneer, nothing more than a frost, before lava _explodes_ from the floor. Blaze shoves her hands toward the robots and the molten rock slams toward the robots, overtaking them in seconds. They melt into metal mush, a few in the back trying to get away in that shuffling robot way, but all are overtaken eventually.

Sonic doesn't get to see what happens after that. The heat combined with total energy depletion becomes too much and he feels his body give up, eyes slipping closed. The last thing he sees is Blaze falling onto her knees, arms limp next to her, chest heaving, as lava licks at her tail.

The world goes black, and, for the first time in over a thousand years, Sonic knows nothing.


	6. Turbulence

" _Sonic's old, isn't he?"_

" _What do you mean, Tails?"_

" _He's... he's older than fifteen..."_

" _Yeah, but that doesn't matter. Emotionally, he's fifteen, so he's been dealing with this about as well as you."_

" _...he's hurting a lot, right?"_

" _Too much."_

Tails looked at his lap, Amy could just see him in the darkness, and he fiddled with his hands.

" _It's not fair."_

" _It's not."_

" _I remember growing up with Sonic... I know that he exists, but how come I can't remember... that_ other _stuff?"_

" _It's..._ " How much did she want to tell him? How much did she dare? She didn't want to hurt him anymore, and his brain was flexible but it wasn't unbreakable. If she pushed him too much, he _would_ snap. " _It's magic. Just the way things are. You're just... really unlucky."_

He sniffed. _"Understatement of the century._ "

It's ten in the evening and Tails has finally nodded off into a fitful sleep. Amy sits on the floor with her back against the wall, watching him breathe and jitter, wondering, fretting, scared because Sonic and Blaze should've been back by now but also because Tails is dealing a lot better than she thought, but not nearly as well as he could. His mind is fighting him, as she knew it would, but he's not as capable of breaking those bonds as she thought. She can't imagine how terrible this would be if he wasn't a genius. This was exactly why they had these rules—if Tails could barely handle it, any normal person wouldn't stand a chance.

He remembers exactly as much as she expected: Sonic exists, she and Cream have something to do with him, Knuckles, Blaze, and Silver are foggy people from his past, and nature is something to be respected. He doesn't remember running out into the spring sunlight and yelling _thank you_! at the sky, calling out to the unseen sprites, doesn't remember curling up in Sonic's arms, whimpering about the mean Stormers attacking him with lightning and thunder, only remembers the warm feeling of companionship and love—nothing more, nothing less.

It's disheartening, but also encouraging. There's room to work with here; they just have to be gentle. The first step is to get Tails to _see_ Sonic, but that will come with time. For now, she's going to be spending a lot of time here, teaching him, relaying Sonic's words because Tails won't be able to hear him, but it'll be worth it if they can break through the wall. It's never been done before, but if they can do it, it'll change everything. The scrolls will have to be revised, Knuckles will probably lose his mind, and Tikal will owe them _big time_. Sonic is her favorite, they all know it, but they also know that after Mighty, she'll do anything to keep all of them from a similar fate. It was awful—

" _S-sonic_..." Tails mumbles in his sleep, as he has been for the past hour or so. That's to be expected too, but it doesn't make it any less heartbreaking. She forces herself to look at her knees, tap her fingers against them, let Tails have a few moments to himself. She hates pushing him like this, hates messing with any of this, but this is a boy she's watched grow up. And, as much as she and Sonic bicker, she really does care for him. Tails was right when he said Sonic was hurting—he has no idea how much.

The thing about this whole thing is that it's illegal. If any of the sprites catch on to what they're doing, there'll be trouble. Knuckles can handle most disputes, but a mass reaction might be too much for even him. But still, it's worth it. It's so worth it. As she looks back up at Tails and sees his tail tips twitching, sees Sonic in the way he curls into a small ball in his sleep, she knows that she would do this again a thousand times even with the smallest of odds. There are some things worth breaking every law over, and this is one of them.

Through the curtains, Amy sees lightning crack the sky in two, and her eyes snap to Tails. He's still asleep, but if thunder hits that's _it_ —

A boom concusses outside, and he shoots up. She darts to his side, presses her hand against his shoulder to anchor him down. His breathing is rough, fur standing on end, and this far too much after the day he just had. "Ssh, ssh," she whispers, rubbing small circles with her thumb, "it's okay. I'll handle it." The rain has begun, rattles against the roof like beads in a maraca, harsh and in full crescendo.

"It's _a storm_ ," he says, panicked and confused, as if saying _you can't handle nature we just have to deal with it_. Then, he looks up at her with a slightly foggy gaze and something clears, a small realization, and she nods once, sweeping away.

The door bangs open because of the wind and she steps out into the rain. It pelts her immediately, soaking right through her clothes, but she doesn't care. Sonic's snow has turned to disgusting slush already. "Who's out here?" she demands. "This is a no-thunderstorm zone and you know it!"

Odds are, it's a rogue sprite. There are a few who don't like to follow the rules and they're usually the reason behind freak weather events. The punishment is usually a stern talking-to from Knuckles, possibly Tikal (through Knuckles, because he's the only one she'll talk to) if the offense is bad enough, but this might be a simple mistake. Sonic made a deal with the head of the Stormers a while back—light storms are fine in Mystic Ruins, but thunderstorms are a no-go. Almost all the Stormers adored Sonic—he was just that charismatic—so they happily obliged him, even gave him advanced warning when a hurricane had to come through here, and, in return, Sonic worked with them on the big winter storm of the year. It made all of their lives easier, and the Stormers had reached a sort of notoriety for taming winter, even if just for one storm.

"Hello, Summer," a low voice calls from behind her, and she whips around. Her bangs are plastered to her face, blocking part of her vision, and she sweeps them away to see a dark form crouching on the roof above the door. The rain is bouncing off his fur, leaving him completely dry, and he draws a similar silhouette as Sonic, something the both of them absolutely despise but can do nothing about.

"Major," she answers, crossing her arms, "what're you doing here?"

His red eyes are practically glowing with the power of the storm. "Routine storm, straight from the top."

"I have a hard time believing that."

He laughs once, a low, hard thing. "You didn't think this little deal would last forever, did you Amy?"

She bristles, quills rising. "Don't call me that, Shadow. Only Maria can call me that."

Shadow doesn't say anything, just blinks those large red eyes and slides off the roof. Major Shadow—second-in-command in the Storm Brigade, colloquially known as the Stormers. They don't operate under the control of any of the seasons, have their own commander who reports to Knuckles and Knuckles alone. This is mainly because none of the Seasonals really want to cause storms—the closest they get is Sonic with his snowfalls, but even then he likes the peaceful, quiet serenity, not the blizzards. The Stormers were created long ago to fill this gap, and their jurisdiction is strictly just that—storms, from thunder to hurricanes and blizzards. They have more sprites under their command than the Seasonals combined, but Amy knows that she has more power than all of them.

Their leader is a long-Saved human girl by the name of Maria. She has the same temperament as Tikal, which made her ideal for the job. A peaceful, calm commander will lead to only necessary storms—something that was desperately needed considering Shadow's destructive personality.

"I apologize, Summer," Shadow shoots back, and his tone is anything but apologetic. Above them, thunder booms again.

"Shadow, please, the _storm_."

He shrugs and leans against the house. "I can't. Direct orders. Early snowfall has to be wiped out."

She slashes her hand through the air and the rain stops. "There, it's done." She gestures at the ground, where the snow is almost completely gone, replaced with mud. "The thunder wasn't necessary."

He follows her movement and looks at the ground with dull eyes. "It was a rush job." His voice is clipped, unsure, as if the gravity of this whole thing just hit him. He could get in serious trouble if Amy reported this, but she has another idea.

"Shadow, when you were Changed, did you know it was coming?"

He stiffens, but Amy was expecting that. Shadow's past is a sticky subject for him, because he was one of the gambles. Maria and Shadow's story is similar to Sonic and Tails's, except Shadow was one of the lucky ones—he changed into a storm sprite instead of staying mortal. Amy knows this much; the rest has been kept under strict lock and key. No one really knows the full story behind their history, just that Shadow is dedicated to Maria and Maria to him.

"No," he answers shortly.

"Mm." She sighs and snaps her fingers to dry herself off. The water evaporates in a quick burst of steam. "What do you think of Tails's chances?"

"What?" He glances back at the house. "Isn't he past the age?"

"Yeah, but humor me. Say we could trick his brain into seeing us again. Think we could turn him?"

He shifts, crosses his arms, back into the confident persona that she's so familiar with. "That's impossible. He has to die."

It's morbid, but he's probably right. The only way to save him now is for him to sacrifice himself and Tikal to turn him. She can't very well _tell_ Tails that though, especially because there's no guarantee. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"So, the rumors are true."

"What?" She takes a few steps back, feels her feet dig into the mud.

"Sonic tried to talk to him."

Not for the first time, Amy finds herself thanking Chaos that Shadow's on their side. She can't imagine what that steady, calm, slightly dangerous presence would be like if he wasn't. "Yeah, but listen. Don't tell anyone what we talked about and I won't tell Maria or Knuckles about this little incident, okay?"

If there's one thing Shadow's afraid of, it's disappointing Maria, so he nods easily.

"Good," Amy pulls her boots out of the mud and starts back for the house. "And Shadow? See if you can snuff out those rumors in the Stormers, okay? We need to keep this quiet for now."

She doesn't see or hear him reply, but she knows he'll do it. He's just as invested in the peace as the rest of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally caught up to FFN! Hopefully I'll remember to update here when I update there. You can find the story here if you wanna keep tabs on me: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10881017/6/Zima


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